The Archbishop of Canterbury has “strongly condemned” an American pastor’s
threat to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of the September 11th
terror attacks.

Dr Rowan Williams said that all religious communities should show solidarity with each other to oppose violence and “provocations”.

As the spiritual leader of the world’s 80 million Anglicans, he is the most senior faith leader so far to speak out against the plan by Pastor Terry Jones to hold “International Burn a Koran Day” at his Christian centre in Florida on Saturday.

Dr Williams was in New York on September 11th, 2001 and became trapped in a smoke-filled lecture theatre after Islamist terrorists crashed planes into the nearby World Trade Center.

In his annual Eid message to Muslims marking the end of Ramadan, published on Thursday, he spoke out against those who attack religious groups or destroy their holy texts.

“At the present time our religious communities face many challenges and many provocations,” the Archbishop said.

“In this country there are those who speak maliciously about religion in general and often against Islam in particular; demonstrations in many of our cities are intended to provoke; and in other parts of the world the threat to desecrate scriptures is deeply deplorable and to be strongly condemned by all people.

“These are challenges that we must respond to with a consistent message: that we oppose collectively all such provocations and insist that there is no place in our traditions for violent response.

“In solidarity with each other we will resist all attempts to induce violence by a constant message of peacefulness and reconciliation.”

He also spoke about the “heartbreaking” images of flooding in Pakistan that emerged during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and the “heartening” work of Christian as well as Muslim relief charities.

Dr Williams said he was praying for a “just and peaceful outcome” to the fresh negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The Florida pastor intends to burn Islam’s holy book on Saturday, the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, despite receiving more than 100 death threats.

“We are definitely prepared to do this. We are definitely prepared to give our lives for this particular message."

His comments came as Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister, pleased with the pastor not to go ahead with his plan to burn Islam’s holy text on a bonfire at his Dove World Outreach Centre in Gainesville.

Jones is also selling his book, Islam is of the Devil, along with shirts and mugs bearing similar anti-Islamic messages, the New York Daily News said.

Explaining his plan, Mr Jones said: ''Instead of us backing down, maybe it's time to stand up. Maybe it's time to send a message to radical Islam that we will not tolerate their behaviour.''

Mr Blair added his voice to those of the White House, the Vatican, the commander of international forces in Afghanistan General David Petraeus and film star Angelina Jolie, who all urged pastor Terry Jones to call off his protest.

Sky News reported that Anjem Choudary, former leader of the banned Islamist organisation Islam4UK, is calling on radical Muslim groups around the world to burn American flags outside US embassies in retaliation.

n a statement, Mr Blair - who founded a Faith Foundation after leaving office to promote understanding between the world's religions - said: ''I deplore the act of burning the Koran.

''It is disrespectful, wrong and will be widely condemned by people of all faiths and none. In no way does this represent the view of any sensible person in the West or any other part of the world.''

The former PM added: ''Those who wish to cause religious conflict are small in number but often manage to dominate the headlines.

''You do not have to be a Muslim to share a sense of deep concern at such a disrespectful way to treat the Holy Book of Islam.